


I woulda swept…

by Winifred_Zachery



Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Getting Together, M/M, Reminiscing, getting better, hints of PTSD, that still work!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 01:13:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16378577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Winifred_Zachery/pseuds/Winifred_Zachery
Summary: ...you off your feet. But I’m not that man any longer.





	I woulda swept…

**Author's Note:**

> I was inspired by those pre-war photos of Bucky and how cocky and self-assured he looks in them.
> 
> ___
> 
> This was beta'd by [EmmettM2025](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmettM2025/pseuds/EmmettM2025). Many thanks!
> 
> And thanks to Thanks [Bill_Longbow](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow) for the helpful and lovely feedback!

When Bucky finally comes to live with them, more Winter Soldier than War Hero, Tony finally takes the time to go through some old stuff his dad had left him.

There’s crate upon crate sitting in the old mansion’s attic, gathering dust since Jarvis’s death. Most of it is tons of war memorabilia, most relating to the Howling Commandos and especially Captain America from during the war. He loaned some of the more historically important things to the Smithsonian, or rather Pepper did, she knows what’s tasteful and what’s personal better than Tony does, apparently.

Tony himself has never gone through any of the boxes after his father’s death. He’s not interested, he tells himself.

As a kid full of hero worship and ambiguous feelings towards the most prominent pair of the Howlies, this would have been his shrine, but Howard never even let him have a look.

Now that he’s long grown out of these kinds of childish sentimentality he doesn’t care for any of the stuff anymore. Not the shield prototypes that still have Captain Rogers’s smudged fingerprints, not the candid shots of the Howlies in full uniform or the personal photos they took of themselves in a rare minute of relaxation. The underwear with the stitched initials JBB stitched into the label that obviously haven’t been cleaned (and how creepy is it that Howard kept those) he has incinerated right away.

And now that at least two of the Howlies (and Tony’s former idols) are back from the dead, he feels like he doesn’t even have the right to keep any of this stuff.

So one day he has it all carted to the empty suite next to the one Steve shares with the newly recovering Bucky Barnes.

Bucky smiles shyly at Tony without meeting his eyes when he directs the movers carrying the sealed boxes towards the empty suite of rooms. Tony smiles back.

Now that the ex-POW has started to find his footing again, he’s been a silent but permanent fixture. He’s still carving out a place for himself in the tower and within the Avengers, struggling with human contact, with unexpected fame and with therapy. But he’s getting there.

Tony enjoys spending time with the quiet and reserved man. They’ve discovered a shared love of bad science shows on TV. Tony never knew the Sergeant had such a wicked sense of humour.

Barnes sometimes spits out acidic comments that are amazingly spot on and they make Tony laugh with surprise and delight - and maybe ignore the small clench of his insides that must be the arc reactor shifting against his ribcage.

These days Steve looks happy. Tony believes it’s because his best friend from the old days and his first friend in this new and strange world are getting along so well. He is glad that Barnes is recovering. The nightmares seem to be receding if JARVIS is to be believed. It’s becoming more and more rare that Tony comes across a shaking and flinching Winter Soldier in the kitchen at four in the morning.

But he’s still a long way from the cocky, self-confident asshole that grins up at Tony from the sepia-colored, dog-eared photos he remembers seeing when he was a kid.

Barnes still doesn’t venture out of the Tower on his own, or at all, really. Not even Steve can bring him to come on his morning runs. He still freaks out when people touch him unexpectedly. Those episodes usually end with damaged walls and Bucky hiding out in the Hulk room for days afterwards, eyes dull and skin pale, till Steve or Natasha finally manage to coax him out again.

Sometimes Tony thinks that Barnes looks at him when he thinks Tony isn’t paying attention. But as soon as he looks up, his head is turned. After a while Tony writes it off as his own paranoia.

Barnes also never notices when Tony watches his face more than the rifle or whatever weapon he’s trying out on the shooting range.

“What’s all this?” Barnes asks when he sees the stacks of boxes grow.

“Just some stuff that belonged to you and Cap back in the day,” Tony shrugs, already turning back towards the door. “Thought you might wanna have it back.”

He can feel Bucky’s eyes on him until he’s closed the door after him.

Later that evening he gets a notice from JARVIS that he might want to look in on the Sergeant and when Tony suggests to his AI he might be better off informing Captain Rogers, he tartly gets informed that the Captain is out for the day.

Great timing, he thinks to himself. Shoulda waited. Shoulda let Cap deal with the emotional stuff. Tony is no good at this. See, he’s messed up already.

When Tony arrives, he finds Bucky sitting on the ground in between half-empty boxes, stacks of newspapers and photos. His cheeks are wet with tears.

He looks up as Tony shuffles closer.

“Uh, sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude,” he starts, stopping halfway between the door and where Barnes is sitting. “It’s just that my useless AI suggested I might stop by and so I did but, look, I can go get Cap for you, okay? I’ll do that right now, no need to, uh, worry or anything.”

He’s got no idea what he’s even saying.

Bucky is still clutching a photo in one hand, deep shadows haunting his usually beautiful grey eyes, but as he sees Tony, the unhappy twist around his lips loosens just a little bit.

“Hey doll,” Bucky replies softly, just as Tony has made his way back to the door.

The use of the nickname makes him stop. Bucky doesn’t use it often, and if he does it always sounds like it slipped out without permission.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt whatever you were doin’.”

“Hey, no, you weren’t, I was just finishing my coffee, so no bother, really,” Tony babbles. He starts turning back, though. He doesn’t really mind keeping Bucky company, even though Steve will probably be more help. But Tony will do his best. “What’cha got there?”

Bucky tries to smooth out the photo he’s been clutching in his hand, looking down at it apologetically. “Sorry, I didn’ mean to ruin your picture.”

Tony returns to Bucky’s side and slides down the wall to sit beside him, just close enough to feel his Super Soldier heat without touching.

“‘S fine, sunshine,” Tony murmurs absently as he reaches for the photo, stroking along the crinkled edges..

It’s a candid shot of Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes in full uniform, head tipped up towards the camera, eyes bright and smiling cockily at him from the paper. Tony knows he’d been quite the ladies’ man back in his day and it’s easy to say why.

“I must say, Barnes, you cut quite the figure. Bet you had the best pick-up lines.”

That wrenches a sound out of Bucky that’s more of a sob than a laugh. It startles Tony out of his reverie quite abruptly.

“I miss it,” he rasps. “Miss bein’ so carefree. Woulda swept you off yer feet in a heartbeat, doll.” Bucky snorts, running a hand through his long hair. “‘N’ look at me now, can’t even get my act together enough t’ talk t’ you face to face.”

That brings Tony up short. Did Bucky Barnes - little Antonio’s cause for sleepless nights, hero of his teenage dreams - just call him doll and admit he wanted to flirt with him? Nope, must have misheard. Bet Barnes was just speaking about flirting in general. Right? Right.

But Tony’s selfish little heart, that he’ll deny having till his dying day, can’t help but hope.

“I’m sure you still got it,” Tony suggests, trying to lighten the mood, sure that he’s messing things up as usual. Steve would do a much better job consoling his heartbroken friend.

Bucky chuckles, shaking his head, trying to wipe away the wetness from his cheeks. “Don’ think so.”

“Well, what have you done to test this hypothesis?”

It’s a bit of an inside joke they have when watching their favourite fake-science shows. They both like to shout it at the screen numerous times during each episode, Tony louder than Bucky, but the other man being just as enthusiastic about it.

Bucky falls silent beside him and Tony looks over to discover a considering look stealing over his face. It suits Bucky a lot better than the tears. Tony didn’t expect his question to be taken seriously, but he’ll take it.

“Y’ think I should?”

“Sure,” Tony nods. “What do you have to lose, Brave guy like you?”

He remembers the stories. Of the man who never gave up. Of the man who always tried the most difficult shot and made it every time. Of the man who was too goddamn stubborn to submit to Hydra until they had to scramble his brain for him to obey.

After a few moments Bucky sighs. “They say you’re smart, yeah? People said I was smart too, not like you, but pro’lly enough not to turn down smart advice.”

It’s the most words Tony’s ever heard come out of Barnes’s mouth and it makes him smile. “There you go, up and at ‘em, Sergeant.”

Another sigh, then Bucky sits up, turning fully towards Tony, chin up and a small grin playing across his lips. It’s not quite the same as in the photograph, but it is breathtaking still.

“Hey doll, wanna see my rifle?”

The line is so bad that Tony bursts out laughing. But before the handsome man beside him can get the wrong idea, Tony answers Bucky’s grin with one of his own and replies “Love to, Snowflake!” before leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to those tempting lips that after so many decades finally lift in their trademark cupid’s bow again.

The photo of a cockily smirking Sergeant Barnes falls to the floor between them, forgotten.

**Author's Note:**

> How'd you like it? I'll eat your comments for breakfast!
> 
> I also have a [tumblr](http://harvestingstorm.tumblr.com/), that's dinner!


End file.
